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School hosts its own Confederations Cup

The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup may only be taking place from
14 June to 28 June 2009, but a tiny school in the west of
Johannesburg have already held their own Confederations Cup on
their school grounds.

There are not too many people on the planet who haven't
heard about the FIFA World Cup™, but FIFA have also placed great
emphasis on the importance of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.

South Africa's 2010 Organising Committee is actively
promoting the Confederations Cup, which has been billed as the
"festival of champions".
So, it came as a welcome surprise when the staff and 400 or
so pupils of St Theresa Primary in Coronationville, Johannesburg,
recently used the Confederations Cup as the theme for the
school's annual sports day - complete with a procession of the
flags and the playing of the anthems of the countries that have
qualified for the tournament to date.

Being held from June 14 to June 28 2009, the FIFA Confederations
2009 will give South Africans an exciting taste of what's to
come in 2010 and pits the champions from the world's six major
football confederations - as well as the defending World Cup
champions and next hosts - against each other.

With much pomp and ceremony the pupils of St Theresa's
"adopted" as their own the countries who have already
qualified for the Confederations Cup, namely 2006 World Cup
champions Italy, 2010 hosts South Africa, Copa America champions
Brazil, Concacaf champions the United States, surprise Asian
champions Iraq and African champions Egypt.

While the European representatives for the Confederations Cup
will only be decided once the winners of Euro 2008 are crowned in
June, the school nominated Portugal as their European
representatives.

Oceania are also still in the qualifying process, but the school
nominated favourites New Zealand for Oceania's Confederations
Cup slot.

The school invited the Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup Organising Committee (OC), Dr Danny Jordaan, to the
sports day, while OC ambassadors and former South African
internationals Mark Fish, Philemon Masinga and Doctor Khumalo also
attended the event.

"We want to congratulate St Theresa's on taking this
initiative and on a wonderful concept. It's just wonderful that
you've taken this first step to promote the first event leading
up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and that we could join you for it.
Football is about you, the future of this country. It's about
developing your body, but also exercising your mind and this
initiative does both," said Dr Jordaan.

"A day like this is very important for the Organising
Committee and for all South Africans, to show that we can host a
tournament like this and get fans excited about it," Dr
Jordaan added.

The school's principal, Deon Oerson, said that soccer was
"big" at St Theresa's.

"Every year we put a day aside where we play soccer the
whole day. Soccer is a big part of our curriculum and we make sure
our learners are well aware of the importance of soccer. We wait in
anticipation for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup and we
are joining the countdown. We welcome Dr Jordaan and to the
ambassadors, our children live their dreams through you and today
you've made their dreams come true," said Mr Oerson.

And for the kids there was an added incentive to play with a
little more vigor, as Dr Jordaan announced that the winners of the
"St Theresa's Confederations Cup" would get tickets
to the opening match of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 in
Johannesburg on June 14 2009.